Time
by Risa1
Summary: A darker purpose lies behind Rambaldi’s works and Sydney’s caught in the middle of it… (Post-Season 2 finale) New: Chapter 2
1. Prologue

Time

By Risa

Summary: A darker purpose lies behind Rambaldi's works and Sydney's caught in the middle of it…

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone/anything from Alias, I'm just borrowing them for a little while.

Author's Note: Yes, it's a post-Season 2 finale story – there are probably a lot of these coming up. :-) Anyway, I'm writing this because I need closure and the wait for the next season is just too long… Anyway, any comments/criticisms will be greatly appreciated. 

=============================================================================

Prologue

Florence, 1493

            "You need to leave now," a man said urgently as he rushed around the room, dumping papers, books and clothing into a pack. His black hair was streaked with silver and the creases around his eyes reflected years of care and worry. His usual languid, relaxed grace was now completely gone, replaced by tension and fear.

            "No, Father, I'm not going alone," the young man standing beside him objected.

            "Alessandro, listen to me," the man said, as he stopped packing and held the young man's shoulders firmly. "You're the only chance we have of stopping him. Rambaldi's insane, out of control."

            "Let's go together," the young man said, "Father, I don't want to leave you."

            The man sighed. "I know, Alessandro. But you have to. Just in case I can't stop them I need you to make the necessary preparations. You _must do this – the world depends on it."_

            "But Father – "

            "I know you're afraid, son," the man said, as he caressing the young man's hair as he stared into his eyes deeply. "At so young an age, to bear such a burden… But you're my own flesh and blood. I know you're strong and brave enough for this." He then picked up a manuscript bound with worn leather. "This contains everything I know about Rambaldi's plans," he said, pushing the book into the hands of Alessandro. "Take good care of it." 

            "Farewell, Father," Alessandro said, as he picked up the back and walked towards the door. He hesitated when he reached the door and turned back, looking at his father, unwilling to leave.

            "Go, my son," the man said softly. "Stay safe and may God be with you."

            _May He be with us all._

            _Two years._ The words reverberated in Sydney's mind. How could that be? It didn't make sense. It only seemed like minutes ago when she had lost consciousness in her apartment. How could two years just go by without her knowledge? "What do you _mean_ I've been gone for two years? This is just some sick joke, right?" she said, her eyes pleading with Vaughn to tell her that it was just a joke, or just her imagination.

            "Syd," Vaughn said quietly, looking into Sydney's eyes intently. "You know I won't make a joke like this. That night, a neighbour called 911 after hearing gunshots. When we got there Francie's double was already dead and Will was barely alive. But you were missing.

            "At first we thought that someone might've taken you. For months we waited and searched everywhere for any bit of news that we might get about your whereabouts. But it was as if you vanished. After six months we assumed that you were dead."

            "_Assumed?_" Sydney said incredulously, "You just assumed that I was dead and got on with your life as if I never happened. Is that it?"

            "Syd – "

            "After all you've said, after all we've been through, you just forget about me and get _married?" Sydney glared at him, the betrayal and pain evident in her eyes. Through all the chaos and confusion in her life, he had been the only constant, the only thing she could depend on. And even though she knew logically that two years had been a long time, her heart still couldn't accept it and the sight of the ring had stung. _

            "Syd – " Vaughn said again, touching Sydney's shoulder, hoping that the gesture might calm her.

            "Don't touch me!" Sydney said harshly, pushing his hand away.

            The silence that fell between them was thick with tension. Finally, Vaughn said, "Syd, you need to understand. When you went missing it was as if I had lost a part of myself too. The only thing I focused on was getting you back. Everywhere I went I was haunted by your face, haunted by you. Every night I'll get nightmares about all the bad things that could have happened to you.

            "I was losing it; I was on the verge of a breakdown. And the only way I could deal with it is to carve out a new life from myself – away from the CIA, away from everything that reminded me of you. I wanted to numb myself from the pain because numbness was better than the uncontrollable pain and worry.

            "Then six months ago I met Kate. She helped me get through the pain, stood by me through everything. I felt grateful to her, which was why I proposed to her a month ago."

            "Do you love her?" Sydney asked quietly.

            Vaughn paused, thinking. Then he shook his head with a sigh. "I love her, but not like I do you. It was easier for me to deal with the pain by treating that part of my life as that of someone else's. Kate was part of the life that I had created for myself to escape. But I always loved you – that never changed."

            Sydney closed her eyes, holding back the pain the threatened to overwhelm her. Vaughn's words provided little consolation. _God, why did this have to happen? Why is it that every time I meet someone something happens to tear them away from me? I don't know how much more of this I can take…_ She wanted to tell Vaughn to leave Kate, to continue the special relationship that they had together, but she couldn't. Vaughn had an obligation and responsibility to her, she couldn't ask him to throw it all away. She sighed. Now wasn't the time to deal with the issues between them. There were so many questions she needed to ask, so many things she needed to catch up on…

            "What about my father?" she asked then, anxious. "How is he?"

            "I don't know," he replied. "He just disappeared about eight months ago and nobody's heard anything about him since."

            This was another blow to Sydney. She had hoped that with all these changes that had suddenly taken place she could at least depend on the presence of her father. To find out that he had disappeared… questions and worries filled her mind. "What about my mother?" she asked, with some trepidation.

            "Nothing since that night when she jumped off the roof," Vaughn replied as he watched Sydney in concern. He could barely imagine what she was feeling right now. 

            "What about Will? Marshall? Dixon?" Sydney said in a rush, hoping that there might be some good news. 

            "They're fine. Syd," he said gently, "get some rest. I'll fill you in on the rest of the details tomorrow. You've had enough for one day."

            Sydney nodded reluctantly. Even though she wanted desperately to know more, she was exhausted. "So what happens now?"

            "You'll rest here tonight. Tomorrow we'll get a flight back to LA. You'll probably be under custody for awhile – "

            "I know. Standard procedure," Sydney said. All the more reason to get some sleep. She needed her full set of wits to deal with what was to come.

            "Syd –" Vaughn began, before he paused, hesitating. He looked as if he wanted to say something important but in the end all he said was, "Sleep well."

            Sydney nodded as she walked into the bedroom, hoping against hope that maybe, just maybe, she'll wake up to find out that this was just all a dream…

            Vaughn watched Sydney disappear into her bedroom and sighed. Seeing her again after so long… All he wanted to do was to hold her tightly and make sure that she would never leave him again. So often in the past two years he had thought he had seen her face, in a restaurant, or on a street, that just now, seeing her again, he could barely believe that she was real.

            The hurt and betrayal on her face when she saw the ring and heard that he was married was more than he could bear. Right then he wanted to tell her the truth, tell her everything, that there was no way he could just let go of her like that. But he couldn't. The conversation that he had earlier with Jack Bristow prevented him from doing so.

            _"And I don't want you to say anything to __Sydney__ about the real reason why you're married," Jack had told him firmly._

_            "But she deserves to know – "_

_            "She's been gone for two years. It's not safe for her to know all this now. We'll tell her when it's time."_

            Vaughn had agreed reluctantly. His life for the past two years had already been filled with secrets. But keeping secrets from Sydney… it had been so difficult to do. All he could do now was hope for the day when all the secrets were over…

*~ To Be Continued ~*


	2. Chapter 1

Time

By Risa

Summary: A darker purpose lies behind Rambaldi's works and Sydney's caught in the middle of it…

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone/anything from Alias, I'm just borrowing them for a little while.

====================================================================

Chapter One

            When the plane landed in Los Angeles the next day, Vaughn and Sydney were greeted by a group of heavily armed agents. "There isn't a need for all this," Vaughn protested. After all that she had been through, it just wasn't right that she should be treated like a prisoner. "Agent Bristow – " 

            "Sorry, sir, it's protocol," one of the agents replied.

            "Even so – "

            "Vaughn, it's ok," Sydney said softly. "Let's go," she said, in a louder and firmer tone to the agents. 

            Vaughn nodded reluctantly. "I'll see you when you get out," he said as the agents led Sydney away. 

            She turned back briefly and gave a wan smile. His gentle concern brought both sweetness and pain. Sweetness for all the times they had shared together and pain for the fact that they were irrevocably gone and things would never be the same between them. 

            As she sat in the back of the van, closely watched by the agents around her, her mind wandered back to what Vaughn had told her. Will was still working at the CIA as a senior analyst. Sydney had felt so guilty about all that happened to Will because of her. Finding out that all was going well in his life was comforting, especially after all the bad news that she had heard.

            Dixon and Marshall had both left the CIA. Dixon now had an easy, well-paid administrative job that allowed him to spend more time with his children. Her father had arranged it months before his disappearance. Marshall had married Carrie a year ago and they were now working as freelance computer analysts. At least Marshall now had a normal life away from all the intrigues and plotting of the shadow world of intelligence. 

            Vaughn had also informed her of the real Francie's death. The news was upsetting for Sydney, but it wasn't shocking. Once she had found out that Francie had been doubled, she had guessed that this might happen.

            Her father… According to Vaughn her father had been obsessed with finding her. Sloane, her mother, Rambaldi… none of that seemed to matter any more. Nobody could get through to him. Sydney had realized in the time since she had found out the truth about SD-6 that while Jack Bristow was not the most affectionate of fathers, he had deep and fierce protective streak for his daughter. They had gotten closer in the two years since they had been double agents but that closeness had never been acknowledged or overtly demonstrated.

            The van pulled to a stop and Sydney's thoughts were torn back to the present. The blinding glare of sunlight made her blink and squint as she was led out of the van. Then she saw the man standing in front of her.

            "Dad?" she said, her voice faltering, afraid that the image in front of her was a mirage.

            "Sydney," Jack said, a flicker of relief passing over his face.

            "Dad," Sydney said again, running forward and held her father tightly, tears welling in her eyes. She needed to feel the warmth of her father, just to make sure that he was real.

            Jack's arms held Sydney awkwardly. Jack hadn't been particularly demonstrative to his daughter for a long time. All his pride and love for his daughter had always been tightly restrained, tightly controlled. He could find no easy way of showing all the relief, joy and love that he felt at seeing his daughter once more.

            "I thought… Vaughn said… I was so worried," Sydney said, barely coherent as the tears continued to pour. "I just don't know what's going on… I'm so confused… Everything's so different…" After all that Vaughn had told her she couldn't confide in him and lean on him like she once did. She had kept all her grief, shock and confusion checked. Seeing her father again was too much; her emotions simply overwhelmed her.

            "I know," Jack said, hesitating before he patted Sydney's shoulder in another awkward gesture.

            Sydney soon regained her composure and she pulled away from her father. "What happened? Vaughn said that you had been missing for six months…"

            "Let's talk inside," Jack said. It was then that Sydney noticed her surroundings. They were standing outside what looked like an old, abandoned building. All around them was wild grass and trees and there was no other sign of civilization. The agents that had brought her to there seemed to have disappeared, along with the van. She followed her father through the door…

            And found herself in a room that could have been another Operations Centre or SD-6. It was filled with computers and other high-tech equipment and there was activity in every corner of the room. She knew that this probably wasn't a typical abandoned building, but she hadn't expected _this._

            She followed Jack into a conference room, carefully taking in all that she saw. "What's all this for?" she asked, as she took a seat opposite her father.

            "Not long after you went missing, Sloane revived the Rambaldi Order and has been trying to expand its power and control. And he's succeeding. The Rambaldi Order has been able to influence key members in governments, terrorist organizations, intelligence agencies, even the CIA." 

            He turned one of the computer screens on the conference table towards Sydney and opened a few documents – all were newspaper articles. "One of the first things that happened after you disappeared was the outbreak of the SARS virus. 

            "SARS?"

            "Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. It spread like wildfire from China and Hong Kong to Southeast Asia and then to the rest of the world. And this was only used for experimentation, a trial to demonstrate the organization's power. They've got far more deadly viruses in their arsenal. 

            "Assassinations, coups, so-called 'accidents," Jack continued, as he opened more and more documents, "They've done it all."

            Sydney felt dread and horror creeping up her spine as she read the documents. It was as bad as the Alliance, probably worse. 

            "And Sloane projects himself as the new Messiah, the herald of a new world order," Jack said, the disgust evident in his voice. "I didn't know that the CIA had also been infiltrated until about seven months ago. It was also at that time that I received news about what happened to you."

            Sydney looked at her father in shock. "So what the hell happened?"

            "The product of the forty-seven Rambaldi artifacts was a time machine. Sloane had used you as a test subject. But it backfired – the machine was supposed to send you ten years into the future but it only sent you forward by two. We still don't know what happened to the machine."

            "How did you know all this?"

            "Your mother told me," Jack said simply, carefully watching Sydney's reaction.

           "Mom?" Sydney said, incredulous. Her mind was reeling with all the information that she had learned in the past two days. Sure, two years was a long time, but could so many things have happened? "But how? How did she know all this? How do you know she could be trusted?"

            "I didn't. Irina came to me seven months ago with audio and visual evidence that some key officials in the CIA had been compromised. She also told me what happened to you. I still might not have believed her if she hadn't been for Elise Luciano."

            "Who's she?"

            "Elise Luciano's the descendant of Emmanuel Luciano – a colleague of Rambaldi's. He and his descendants have been working against Rambaldi and his order for centuries. She gave me documents and papers about Rambaldi's plans – I had them verified and they were all authentic. This entire facility and all its operations are under her control. Your mother has been working with her for years."

            Sydney stared at her father, stunned at the information. This was something that she hadn't expected, hadn't even imagined.

            Just then, Irina walked into the room. "Jack, we've got a problem. Elise Luciano has been captured."

             Vaughn opened the door to his apartment, weary. He longed to be with Sydney; they had been apart for far too long. Instead, obligation and responsibility pulled him back here. 

            "Hi honey," Kate greeted as she walked out from the kitchen. "How was your trip?"

           Once again Vaughn wished that he didn't have to put up this act. It had been difficult enough when Sydney wasn't around, it was worse now that he knew that she was back, alive, safe. _Do I tell her the truth? He was tempted to lie and avoid the questions that were bound to follow. But he knew that he had to tell her the truth if he wanted to maintain his cover. Kate probably already knew about what had happened and he needed her to believe that he was the same devoted husband. _

            "They've found Sydney," he said.

            "Oh." Kate walked back into the kitchen. "So how is she?" she asked, her light tone forced.

            "She's a little disoriented but she's okay."

            Kate hesitated before she said, "And you?"

            "I'm fine," Vaughn assured her. He walked behind Kate and wrapped his arms around her. "Don't worry. It's over between us. You're the one that I love."

            Kate turned around and kissed Vaughn gently. "I know, it's just…"

            "Don't worry," Vaughn repeated firmly. Then he forced a smile onto his face. "I need to grab a shower, we'll talk later, okay?"

            Kate nodded and Vaughn walked into the bathroom. He hated this – both of them acting out their roles, skating around each other, trying to outwit each other. He closed the bathroom door, turned on the shower and stood beside the door. He took out a small, black device and placed in on the door, putting the earpiece into his ear. The device amplified sounds, allowing him to listen to the conversation in the next room.

            "It's me," Kate said. "He's met with Bristow. Don't worry, he's still under my control." For a while there was silence as Kate listened to the person on the other end of the line. "Okay," she said, after a few minutes, ending the call. 

            Vaughn removed the device from the door and sighed. _Please let this be over soon…_

*~ To Be Continued ~*


	3. Chapter 2

Time

By Risa

Summary: A darker purpose lies behind Rambaldi's works and Sydney's caught in the middle of it…

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone/anything from Alias, I'm just borrowing them for a little while.

====================================================================

Chapter Two

            "Elise Luciano has been captured."

            "How?" Jack asked sharply.

            "Sloane found out about our office in Madrid," Irina replied, a flicker of relief in her eyes as she glanced at Sydney. "She was there to supervise an operation and was captured in the raid about twenty hours ago. There's no sign that they know who she is or had any idea that she would be there. We've got a few leads that you might want to look at."

            Jack nodded, as he stood up. As he left the conference room he said softly to Irina, "It might be better if Sydney hears the rest of this from you."

            Irina nodded. For a long moment mother and daughter stared at each other warily, waiting for the other person to make the first move. Irina was all too aware of the strain that had been placed on their relationship as a result of her actions. The connection that had been slowly and cautiously built in the time she had spent in CIA custody had been severed by her betrayal. She only hoped that it wasn't beyond repair. Her greatest regret had been her failure to Sydney as a mother. But it wasn't in Irina's nature to dwell on what might have been. It wasn't a game, she couldn't change the cards that she had been dealt. All she could do was make the best out of the hand that she got. Finally, she said, "Sydney, I know how difficult this must be for you – "

            "Difficult? Don't talk to me about difficult," Sydney said, frustration, anger and bitterness sweeping over her. "I'm _sick of it. I'm sick of your games, your manipulations and your cryptic statements. You _keep_ asking me to trust you. But how can I do that when I never know what your intentions are? I honestly don't know _what_ to believe anymore." _

            "Sydney," Irina said gently, with a hint of resignation, "My actions then served one purpose – protecting you. I'll admit, when I left you and your father I was consumed by a thirst for power and control. When I found out about Rambaldi I became obsessed. I needed these things to fill the emptiness in my life. I thought they could patch the hole in my soul that you and your father had left. 

            "My pursuit of Rambaldi led me to Elise Luciano five years ago. She told me the truth about Rambaldi's plans, about his prophecy. Like I told you that night Sydney, the one in the prophecy is you."

            "But how? I've seen Mount Sebacio – " 

            "It doesn't matter. That was just a minor technicality – it doesn't change the spirit of the prophecy."

            "But it isn't possible," Sydney protested, her mind refusing to accept the possibility. "The prophecy claims that I'll bring destruction and desolation but I will never do anything like that."

           "I know, Sydney. The prophecy isn't true. It existed for one reason – to discredit you, to lead to your persecution. Sydney, Rambaldi's target is _you_. He doesn't just want you dead, he wants you _destroyed_."

            Sydney stared at her mother, scarcely believing her words. None of it made sense. Why would someone from the 15th century want her dead? She shook her head in denial. This was probably just another elaborate hoax by her mother.

            Before Irina could explain, a man walked into the office. "Ms. Derevko," he said politely, "Mr. Bristow is asking for some input on the rescue operation."

            "I'll be right there," Irina said, before turning her attention back to Sydney. "I know that all this sounds strange and far-fetched but I'm asking you to hold your judgment until we get Elise Luciano back. She has evidence that will support everything that I've said." With that, she stood up and walked out of the conference room.

            Left alone in the conference room, Sydney stared blankly at the table in front of her. After years as a spy she had thought that she had seen it all. But the events of the past two days were just one shock after another. She felt overwhelmed and out of her depth. Her father seemed to trust her mother but it wasn't enough. The memories of her mother's actions were still too freshly imprinted in Sydney's mind.   

During the months Irina spent in CIA custody, Sydney had begun to think that while their relationship would probably never be like that of a normal mother and daughter, there was still closeness, warmth and familiarity. But all that was shattered when her mother betrayed the CIA. Sydney didn't want to go down that road once more; she didn't want the disappointment, the hurt.

            Elise Luciano seemed to be at the center of all of it. Sydney left the conference room, her expression determined. She will do all she can to help them find her. Maybe then she could finally make sense of this mess.  

Vaughn pulled his car to a stop as the colour of the traffic light changed. He was on his way to meet Will for what was supposed to be a casual lunch. Will and Vaughn had been meeting regularly since Sydney's disappearance. Their shared worry and concern for her had drawn them closer together. Will had recovered rapidly from the mental and physical injury caused by Allison Doren and within months he was back at work with the CIA. 

Six months ago their meetings gained an additional significance. As Sloane's influence over the CIA grew, Jack was increasingly left out of the loop on CIA activities, particularly with regards to the Rambaldi Order. It didn't help that Jack had been an easy target – many senior officers felt that his capabilities had been severely affected by Sydney's disappearance and Jack's constant disregard for authority and protocol hadn't gained him any favours. Eventually, Jack decided that he might be of more use at the Luciano Foundation. To the CIA it seemed as if he had completely disappeared from their radar.

At around the same time, Vaughn met Kate. Their first meeting seemed to be a chance encounter – a man meeting a woman at the bar. They started talking and became friends. Vaughn enjoyed her company but his heart remained with Sydney. It all changed a couple of weeks later when Vaughn was suddenly approached by Jack. He showed Vaughn photographs and audio recordings that proved Kate was working for Sloane. She had been sent to seduce Vaughn and prevent any further involvement with Sydney or any of her affairs. Vaughn was filled with anger and rage. It wasn't enough that Sloane had to take Sydney away from him but to manipulate him like this… He was about to confront Kate when Jack persuaded him otherwise.

_"Why's he doing this?" Vaughn had said, his fists tightly clenched in restrained anger._

_"Because Sloane knows that you'll do anything for __Sydney__," Jack said matter-of-factly. "And that makes you unpredictable, almost impossible to control. And it is this that makes you and Sydney so dangerous together."_

_"I'll kill him, I swear I will," Vaughn muttered. To even consider_ the possibility that Vaughn could forget ___Sydney__… Sloane had underestimated him._

_"Forget about your outrage and think," Jack said sharply. "If you act according to Sloane's calculations, you might be able to get valuable intel about Sloane and his organization through Kate."_

_Vaughn stared at Jack, incredulous. "There's no way I'm going to pretend to love someone else. That isn't fair to __Sydney__ – "_

_"When __Sydney__ returns Sloane is going to go after her again," Jack said impatiently. "If you do this, you might be able to protect__ her. We still don't know what Sloane's plans about _Sydney___ are."_

_It made sense, Vaughn thought reluctantly. He sighed. Jack was right. He would do anything to protect _Sydney___ and if this was the sacrifice that he had to make…_

Not long after, Vaughn left the CIA and Will was the only one left. Will's ability to sniff out information had been an invaluable source of help in allowing the Luciano Foundation to stay informed of the CIA's activities and, to a lesser the degree, the Rambaldi Order's. Vaughn's marriage to Kate thus served another purpose. Will was able to pass information to Vaughn under the cover of a normal get-together among friends while Sloane continued to think that Vaughn was under Kate's control.

Vaughn pulled his mind away from the past as he got out of his car and walked into the restaurant. "Will," he greeted, as he walked towards the table that was tucked away in a corner of the restaurant. He took out a pen and turned the top barrel. This sent signals of a mundane, uninteresting conversation between Will and Vaughn for the bugs present. 

"So how's Sydney?" Will asked as Vaughn took his seat. The news that Sydney had returned was a huge source of relief. He longed to see her again but that could compromise his cover and he couldn't take the chance.

"She's with Jack now… she seems fine, if a little disoriented."

"Well, you would be if you were suddenly hurled two years into the future." Will paused before saying quietly, "Did you tell her about Kate?"

"The cover story, not the truth," Vaughn replied with a sigh. "She didn't take it very well."

"That's expected. Sydney really loved you, probably more than she did Danny. I could sense it before you guys said anything. The sparkle in her eye and that smile she had whenever she talked about you…"

"I know," Vaughn said, his eyes shadowed with regret. "Not being with her is driving me crazy." Vaughn shook his head, pushing away his frustration and his longing. There were more important matters to deal with. He could save the brooding about his pathetic life till later. "You said you had something important to tell me?"

"Yeah," Will said, his expression dark. "Sark's escaped."

"What!' Vaughn said, shocked. "How?"

"Officially, there was a screw-up while they were transferring him from Camp Harris to another facility. The truth is Sloane used his contacts in the CIA to bust him out."

            "So Sloane and Sark are working together again," Vaughn said dryly, "Things just keep getting better and better." Then he said, "There's something we need you to check out. Sydney was found in Hong Kong, which could mean that she was in Hong Kong when the machine sent her into the future. Just take a look at whatever labs or research facilities Sloane had in Hong Kong for the past two years and see if anything pops up. Maybe this could lead us to the time machine."

            Will nodded and the conversation turned to more mundane matters. With Sydney's reappearance, things were finally coming to a head. Vaughn only hoped that they will be the ones left standing.

            Elise Luciano regained consciousness to find herself surrounded in pitch black darkness. The air was hot and stuffy and her throat was dry. She blinked and struggled to see something – anything – in the darkness. But all she could see was black. Her mind was a complete blank. She had no idea how she had gotten there.

            Then the memories flooded back. Images of a white gas, troops, gunshots… And the all-too familiar symbol of the Rambaldi order. She had been captured.

            She cursed under her breath. This was too dangerous, too risky. Elise had enough training to resist most forms of torture but she wasn't sure that was enough against the inventiveness of the Rambaldi Order's eager members. If she cracked and revealed too much about the Luciano Foundation…

            She couldn't take the risk.

            There was one route left open to her. She closed her eyes and took slow, deep breaths, allowing her mind to go blank and relax. _10… 9… 8… 7… _

            Self-hypnosis. If she blocked out everything about the Luciano Foundation's operations from her consciousness, she couldn't reveal anything. A safeguard that had been passed down her family for centuries. Even so, she didn't know how long the barrier will hold.

            In the darkness Elise had no way of telling just how much time had passed. Suddenly, a blinding white light appeared. Elise blinked, her vision blurred as her eyes tried to adjust to the sudden influx of light. As her vision cleared she saw a face that she knew all too well.

            "I'm curious," the man said pleasantly, "why are you resisting us?"

            Sloane.

            Elise stared at him, her black eyes steely and cold.

            "After all, all we want to do is to get rid of the corrupt system that we have right now. No more lies, no more conflicts, a peaceful and happy society. What more can you want?" he continued in the same tone.

            Elise spat in disgust. "You kill, torture and destroy. How can you build a 'peaceful and happy society' on such a brutal and inhuman foundation?"

            "According to Machiavelli, it is best to be both feared and love but when it is not possible to have both, it is better to be feared," Sloane said reasonably. "Whatever we do it is for the improvement of human society."

           Elise stared at Sloane, incredulous. She didn't know if he was putting on an act or if he truly believed what he was saying. 

            "You can make this more pleasant for yourself by telling us everything about who you're working for," Sloane said, the pleasant, effable image replaced by something dark and dangerous. "Or we could make this very painful for you."

            Elise continued looking at Sloane, her face devoid of expression.

            "I see you've made your choice," Sloane said, as something metallic was placed on her head. Then everything disappeared in a white, blazing flash of blinding pain.

*~ To Be Continued ~*


End file.
